Sketchbook Sneak Peek: Aaron Becker

One of the beautiful things about sketchbooks is their ability to take you into a world of your own creation, a place where your imagination can run wild and even the sky is no limit. As a young boy growing up in Baltimore, Aaron Beckerbecame attuned to this notion early on. “Like many American boys born in the wake of the Apollo missions,” he writes in his website’s bio, “I decided early on I would be an astronaut.” After deciding that these dreams might be more work than he had originally anticipated, however, Becker shifted his sights from the cosmos to crayons—creating art that was as otherworldly and exotic as the places he once dreamed of traveling.

Over the past several years, Becker has honed his skill for imaginative world-creation as a designer for the film industry, creating preliminary concept drawings for such films as The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, Mars Needs Moms, and Pixar’s Carstoons series. This past summer, Becker’s first children’s book was released. Aptly titled Journey, the wordless book tells the story of a young girl who draws a magical door onto her bedroom wall and is transported to a world of eye-popping wonder. A sort of updated Harold and The Purple Crayon (albeit on a much grander, more lavish scale), the newly published volume is already receiving stupendous accolades—The New York Times called the book “a masterwork.”

Aaron’s sketchbooks are, as with his first children’s book, like diving into a whole new world. With exacting, fine-tipped sketches laid out in paneled narratives, these preliminary drawings tell stories of their own—they provide insight into Becker’s creative mind, the meticulousness of his craft, and the process through which he constructs his dazzling landscapes. Continue after the jump to take a look at more of Aaron Becker’s sketches and read what he has to say about the art of sketchbook-keeping. —Max

Above images: The cover and a few select pages from Aaron Becker’s Journey.

Why do you use a sketch book?

For one, it’s portable. And of course, it’s far more fun than an iPad.

What are your go-to sketch book supplies? Are there any brands or media that you’re particularly drawn to?

My favorite sketchbooks have toned paper, on which I can paint gouache or colored pencils to really punch out the brights from the predominating dark line-work. When it comes to line, I tend to gravitate towards inky pens. When I use pencils, I like starting with a blue colored pencil, adding a 2H, and finishing things off with a 2B. I’ve always admired artists who have specific brands of paints, brushes, and pens they’re drawn towards—I think I figured as an art student that it would just take time to realize those preferences, and that once I had my favorites all lined up, I’d be a “real” artist. But it didn’t work out that way for me. I’m happy picking up anything that makes a mark, though I’ll stop at blue ink. For some reason, I can’t abide it.

Aside from preliminary sketches for larger projects, are there any things that you like to sketch just for fun? What are some things that you most frequently fill your sketch books with?

I used to love using rubber cement to create a scrap book of memorabilia and clippings from which I might cull inspiration. But I’ll admit that these days I’m far too busy with my work and I tend to use my sketchbook solely for thumbnail sketches and writing. Occasionally, pages will sink into the desperate territory of the to-do list, which always breaks my heart. I was showing my earlier sketchbooks to a high school art student the other day and realized how much I need to get back into doing the more fun stuff. There’s no replacement for that effort and time, especially for generating fresh ideas and staying in touch with the love of mark-making.

It totally spoke to me when you talked about pages sinking “into the desperate territory of the to-do list”. I find that when that to-do list starts formulating in my mind I begin feeling overwhelmed rather than creative. I definitely need to start keeping my sketch book close by so that ideas stay fun and fresh!

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